Name a popular singer with a distinctive voice.

[Joe Fields]

You know, one you can instantly recognize with just a few notes.

Joe Cocker comes quickly to mind.

What say you?

[malta blue]

1. Bob Dylan...n/t

[femmocrat]

2. Rod Stewart

[meegbear]

3. Roger Waters

[catbert836]

33. Apparently he lost his voice...

Rolling Stone said of one of his recent bootlegs that his voice sounded like he had gargled battery acid before he went onstage. I'm gonna go see him anyway, though.

[meegbear]

35. I'd go too, voice be damned!

[Shell Beau]

4. Nora Jones

[southpaw]

5. Randy Newman

Warren Zevon
Rick Astley (titter)
Boz Scaggs

[Shell Beau]

6. Also Stevie Ray Vaughn!! The GREAT Stevie!!

[southpaw]

7. Jorma Kaukonen

...wait a minute... you did say 'popular'

[peacefreak]

34. From Third Week in Chelsea...

As dawn light closed around me my head was still in gear
Thinking thoughts of playing more and singing loud and clear
Trying to reach a friend somewhere and make that person smile
Maybe pull myself away from that old lonesome mile
That often comes to haunt me in the morning

All my friends keep telling me that it would be a shame
To break up such a grand success and tear apart a name
But all I know is what I feel whenever I'm not playin'
Emptiness ain't where it's at and neither's feeling pain

Well now what is going to happen now is anybody's guess
If I can't spend my time with love I guess I need a rest
Time is getting late now and the sun is getting low
My body's getting tired of carryin' another's load
And sunshine's waiting for me a little further down the road

Yup, his voice is distinctive & so's his playing.

[qnr]

8. Rickie Lee Jones ... though the "popular" bit is debatable. n/t

[Joe Fields]

9. I only meant that it had to be a singer we were familiar with.

Not your aunt. Unless your aunt is a Ricky Lee Jones, or a Joni Mitchell.

Ricky DEFINITELY fit in right here!

[Crankie Avalon]

10. Nat King Cole...

Billie Holiday
Louis Armstrong...um, does the singer have to be living?

[Joe Fields]

19. No. Sinatra, Crosby, Martin, and Sammy Davis Junior all apply.

[Joe Fields]

11. Of course, Joni Mitchell.

[XemaSab]

12. Maynard James Keenan

[LA lady]

13. Anne Murray

You don't hear her much anymore but she's very recognizable.

[qnr]

14. I'd add Van Morrison, Donovan and Leo Sayer (or am I showing my age?) nt

[progmom]

15. Bruce Springsteen

[RedStateShame]

16. Tom Waits

Saw him last night. AWESOME SET!!!

[WritingIsMyReligion]

17. Donald Fagen, Bob Dylan, Rod Stewart, Joe Cocker...

Roger Waters, Van Morrison, Bruuuuuuuuuce

There are more.....

;)

[ceile]

18. Leonard Cohen and Chris Isaak

I literally stop what I'm doing and listen when I hear one of their songs.

[progmom]

20. Jeff Buckley

[progmom]

21. Tina Turner

[SteppingRazor]

22. Chris Cornell, Eddie Vedder...

my first thought was Bob Dylan, but of course everyone already said that ;)

Also, how come there's so few woen out there? How 'bout Fiona Apple, for example?

[peekaloo]

23. Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Stevie Nicks, Michael Stipe.

[martymar64]

24. Jerry Garcia

Instantly recognizable

[Saphire]

25. Cyndi Lauper

[idgiehkt]

26. Macy Gray, Jonette Napolitano, Natalie Merchant, Ani Difranco

Tom Petty, Neil Young, Stevie Nicks...

[LeftyMom]

27. Janis Joplin

[Phillycat]

28. Freddy Mercury

[catbert836]

29. Jim Morrison.

Hard to believe no one mentioned him yet.

[trackfan]

30. Karen Carpenter

[Lareina1970]

31. Robin Zander, Don Henley, and

Ann Wilson.

[Richardo]

32. Alison Krauss

:loveya:

[Joe Fields]

36. Robert Plant, Jimi Hendrix(aw, shucks...)

[datasuspect]

41. hendrix - "plug your ears, plug your ears"

he would say that a lot when on stage.

[Joe Fields]

45. Yep. He didn't have the greatest voice, but he sang with lots of style.

[Guy Fawkes]

37. Eric Boucher ("Jello Biafra")

[Joe Fields]

38. Paul Rogers

[CottonBear]

39. Michael Stipe. n/t

[jrandom421]

40. No one more distinctive

Than Gracie Slick of the Jefferson Airplane. I remember the first time I heard "Go Ask Alice", and was instantly haunted by her distinct, resonant alto voice and phrasing. No woman in rock has sounded like her before or since. I still have dreams of the appearance the Plane did on the Ed Sullivan show in 1967.

[Zomby Woof]

42. Neil Young

Love it or hate it (I like it myself) - he has one of those voices you recognoze immediately upon hearing it.

[Joe Fields]

54. My all-time favorite. Well, tied with Joni Mitchell.

Showing my age?

[BulletproofLandshark]

43. Dolores O' Riordan

[Smooth Operator]

44. James Taylor

or Johnny Mathis.

[Dora]

46. Annie Lennox.

The woman is blessed with pipes.

[rug]

47. Tiny Tim

[XNASA]

48. Tom Jones

[driver8]

49. Joni Mitchell, Chrissy Hynde, Geddy Lee, Natalie Merchant.

[judaspriestess]

50. Geoff Tate (Queensryche)

and the love of my life - Rob Halford (Judas Priest)

[querelle]

51. Joan Armatrading

One of my favoites.

Q

[jpgray]

52. Nina Simone!

Her drunken "Go Limp" is etched forever into the natural gates and alleys of my pysche.

[RevCheesehead]

53. Pavoratti

[Ariana Celeste]

55. Maynard James Keenan

:loveya:

[Tikki]

56. Joey Ramone.......n/t

[SKKY]

57. Roland Giff of Fine Young Canibals...

[KFC]

58. Bryan Ferry

One of the best.

[greendog]

59. R. Crumb

And a damn fine cartoonist as well.

[bluecrush]

60. Dr. John

I was in the right place but...

[Kat45]

61. Robert Plant, Ronnie James Dio, Axl Rose, Lemmy

[bridgit]

62. Tony Bennett...

[Joe Fields]

63. Mel Torme, Tony Bennett

[carpetbagger]

64. Johnny Cash.

Maybe it's because I expect him to do so, but he's probably the only person I can quickly identify "out of genre". Some of the other people mentioned above I can certainly identify with a few notes, but I wouldn't immediately recognize Jim Morrison singing an old Tin Pan Alley standard, and I wouldn't immediately recognize Willie Nelson singing a Southern rock cover. But I can pick out Johnny Cash's voice. Louis Armstrong would pass the test too, but I've heard relatively little outside jazz or standards from him.

[NC_Nurse]

65. Chrissie Hynde

[NC_Nurse]

66. dupe - please remove

[grannylib]

67. Bonnie Raitt...wouldn't a Raitt/Clapton collaboration be divine???

[Jamastiene]

68. Joan Jett, no one else can do that

"Ou" thing she does. I don't even know how to spell it, but it's Joan Jett and only Joan Jett who does that. Her voice is so soothing to my troubled mind. :evilgrin:

[Broken_Hero]

69. this singer isn't too popular, or mainstream

so, I will name two not to popular singers!

:P

Keith Caputo, from Life of Agony, I cannot stress how much I like this band, and Caputo's voice is the main reason why. If I had to choose which singing voice I could have, I would choose Caputo's...

Peter Steele, from Type O Negative, such a deep, deep, deep...DEEEEEP voice. Incredibly talented singer.

Both have distinctive voices...:)

[wildhorses]

70. Van Morrison, Janis Joplin

[Katina]

71. Joan Baez & Buffy St. Marie